Housecraft

07/22/2022

The kitchen design is integrated in a great room concept with high ceilings and open space that is centrally located on the property. The materials and colors chosen reflect an 🌎Earthy Modern ⭐️ aesthetic by using subdued hues and textures found in nature - walnut countertops, distressed oak cabinets, ocean blue island, and grey concrete. For a modern accent that provides contrast, we created an accent wall using black hexagon tiles and picked black stainless steel appliances. For a warm and organic feel, minimalist light fixtures cast an ambient glow.

Hexagons, a common shape found in nature due to its mathematically efficient structure, is subtly used throughout the kitchen design in the form of hex light fixtures, hex tile, and hex k***s and pulls on the cabinets.

Features of the kitchen include a space-efficient pantry (check out the video - the design is a life-changer!), downdraft hoods for 2 types of cooktops - gas and induction, and directly plumbed domestic hot water and filtered water 💦

05/19/2022

Welcome to the 🐧✨Penguin Palace✨🐧 - What wet dreams are made of! 💦 Haha just kidding! Or am I.....😏

Our spa design is really special and it took a lot of thinking outside-the-box to make it possible. What I wanted is a relaxing space with the ability to transcend the body & mind into the ultimate zen experience 🧘‍♀️.

The feeling of being outside in nature - 🌿 plants like bamboo, succulents, and Japanese maples - while being inside is accomplished by a floor-to-ceiling window and a bi-fold door that directs your view towards the hills, ocean, and sky of the Monterey Bay 🌊. To achieve floor-to-ceiling openings, we needed to drop the infinity tub 🛁 by several feet so the top is flush with the bottom of the window and door. As you can see from the photos, the ground has a huge carve out to accommodate the depth of the tub with one big drain to collect water from 2 shower heads 🚿 and the overflow from the infinity tub. We created a metal frame structure across the entire expanse of the carve out for the wooden slats to sit on. All the materials chosen reflect nature - green wall tiles that are vertically oriented to mimic bamboo culms, a stone walkway with radiant heat (to keep the toes warm), black river pebbles surrounding the infinity tub, wooden slats made of black locust wood (a sustainable hardwood), and a light accent hanging over the tub that looks like the moon 🌙 when it's switched on.

Future plans will include a dry sauna and cold plunge outside the bi-fold door - the ultimate goal is to provide a hydrotherapy experience for nourishing the mind, body, and soul 🥰.

04/28/2022

Radiant floor heating is one of the best inventions in house construction ever made - 🔥 warm toes FTW! 🔥 Radiant heat supplied by hot water, either by gas or electricity, is called Hydronic Heating. Since 💦 water 💦 transfers heat more efficiently than air and radiant heat feels comfortable at lower air temperatures, hydronic heating is more cost effective in the long run (~35% cheaper than running an air ducted system). Because the flow of water can be controlled, this system provides heat when and where you need it - we created multiple zones in our main home and installed 🌱 Nest thermostats 🌱 in each zone to control the temperature 🥳

12/17/2021

💦 Rainwater collection 🌧 - easy to implement in existing homes and soo critical during an endless drought. Fortunately in California, it is legal to collect rainwater for specific purposes. We have two 5,000 gallon rainwater barrels in which the water is filtered, treated, and delivered to landscape drip irrigation and non-potable indoor uses including toilet flushing and clothes washing.

It's amazing that our 10,000 gallon rainwater barrels are already full after the 6 inches of rain we got in Santa Cruz from the 2 atmospheric rivers. Every inch of rainfall we collect off our 2500 square feet of roof area gives us 1500 gallons of water. We can't use the water fast enough since we don't have any outdoor plants or fruit trees to water, so our barrels are overflowing!

In an existing home, if anyone has a yard/garden that requires water to flourish, desire to build an outdoor sink or kitchen, want to hook up their washing machine or hot tub to rainwater (some of these projects may require a licensed landscape contractor to help), I highly recommend installing a smart rainwater collection system - the benefit-cost ratio is well worth it! 🌧🌈

12/09/2021

Wood eaves is an accent feature we chose to provide warmth and irregularity to a modern and angular design. We couldn't have done all the staining of the wood without the help of our community 🥰

12/03/2021

Sharing a video of the fabrication and installation of the roof which is "metal standing seam." The metal pieces are cut on-site and then carried up to the roof where the pieces are interlocked to each other - the final look is modern with clean lines that accent the pitch and plane of every roof angle.

Here are the reasons why we picked metal standing seam:

- Durable, lasting up to 50 years (metal lasts longer than asphalt shingles for example)
- Reflects solar heat, keeping the house more cool
- Choice of recycled materials
- Little or no maintenance required
- If you are doing a remodel, it can be used over existing roofing material
- Fire resistant properties in a place where wildfires happen!

A con so far is when it rains, the *tink tink tinky d**k* of the raindrops could be of annoyance. But I kind of enjoy the sound of amplified raindrops since we get so little of it in California 😆

We did a standing seam metal roof. This video shows the metal being sliced on-site and carried to the roof. The panels are then locked together at the seams.

10/28/2021

🏋🏻‍♀️ In the spirit of creating adaptable spaces, I plan to use this outdoor redwood deck as a hangout spot and a fitness gym. I found a Rogue power rack that folds up into a minimal form factor that is almost flush with the wall. The fantasy is to have enough equipment for weightlifting, cross fit, and HIIT-style classes. The Astercare experience wouldn't be complete without an outdoor shower to wash away post-workout sweat 🏋🏻‍♂️💦😁

10/27/2021

We chose stucco material for the exterior of the walls. The stucco has a smooth finish and is a mottled gold/tan hue (Sherwin Williams paint code: Stonebriar 7693) to mimic the color of our natural sandstone surroundings so our structures reflect continuity with our environment - blending in, not sticking out!

The process includes applying waterproof building paper, fastening metal lath to support the stucco, and applying 4 coats total. Stucco is a solid choice in California due to its resistance to fire, rot, termite infestation, and it's also durable and insulating.

This video shows the process of applying stucco to the exterior of the walls which includes applying waterproof building paper, fastening metal lath to suppo...

10/22/2021

To those who appreciate geeking out on wires, analog and digital signals, and designing a connected home 🤓 We did all the wiring ourselves to create a customizable audio and visual experience in different spaces of the compound. The work entailed mapping where we wanted speakers/projectors/low-voltage lights/security cameras/gaming, drilling LOTS of holes, pulling wire, and terminating ends.

Why did we go to all the trouble of doing this? Since we are building from the ground up, we can take advantage of creating the infrastructure to rely as little on Wi-Fi as possible - as convenient as Wi-Fi is, there are drawbacks especially when your network is overloaded with devices. Ethernet (we enabled up to 40GB) is faster, more secure, more reliable, and has reduced latency. We have enabled Ethernet wherever possible, and left Wi-Fi for the devices that are Wi-Fi only. Once everything is up and running, we'll see how well things actually work 😅

10/15/2021

Buildings taking shape and dimension, coming alive from the 2D plans we designed. They always grow up so fast...😭

10/15/2021

Wood framing is one of the quickest and most dramatic phases of a build - the 2 structures were erected in less than 2 months - way faster than the ground and foundation work (especially since the lot was a bit sloped). It was really a trip to see the buildings take shape and dimension, coming alive from the 2D plans we designed.

Framing for the house goes up really quick compared to ground and foundation work - framing was erected in less than 2 months!

10/12/2021

The following timelapse consists of digging trenches, laying pipes and conduit, and pouring concrete to create the pad for the main house.

This work consists of digging trenches, laying pipes, and pouring concrete to create the pad for the main house.